A first for me. I just replaced my shower door. And I did it all by myself. Well, how about that for a DIY accomplishment!

Recently,  I we had our main floor flooring replaced. It was a mixture of carpet, tile and some hardwood at the entrance. Now, our entire main flooring is luxury vinyl plank. I chose vinyl because it looks like real hardwood but holds up much better. At the same time, we replaced the flooring in our bathroom off the master bedroom.

Six years ago, I wrote about my attempts to repair the vinyl tile beside the shower in this bathroom. As described then, I found some water damage in the subfloor. With the recent installation of new flooring, our contractor had to cut away and replace the damaged subfloor. He suggested that I should replace the shower door and seal it better. My old shower door was more than 18 years old.

Buying a new shower door proved to be a challenge. For one thing, I have a weird opening size at 33 3/4″. For another thing, nobody seemed to have any stock this fall. I found a door that would fit at Lowes, but no delivery date. Finally it became available, even at a lower price, so I made the order.

I found the instructions for installing the door fairly straightforward. I had to cut the sill to size, and drill some holes for correct spacing of the door jam. There were some challenges, which I well discuss below.

Normally, I don’t do DIY replacement projects which could effect home value. But my contractor neighbor gave me courage, and promised to help if needed. So, here goes.

My Shower Door Replacement Challenges

Two challenges – drilling holes in the shower and door levelling. I decided not to use the screw anchors. I figured out the size for a tight screw fit. The combination for multiple screws and silicone caulking should give firm enough attachment for my shower door. Plus, with a pivot door, most of the weight is on the bottom sill. That worked out fine.

My main concern was water spillage when the door gets opened after a shower. Ideally, the door should be slightly angled inwards so any collected water just runs into the shower stall, not outwards onto the floor.

I used a Chines Checkers marble (see picture above) to get the angles right while making the adjustment. And finally, no more water spillage. Hopefully my replacement will last as long as I need it!